Youngsters urged to join the crime fight

CHESHIRE'S High Sheriff, Diana McConnell, has challenged the county's youngsters to come up with 100 ideas to fight crime and anti-social behaviour - and is offering cash rewards of up to £500 to help them succeed.

CHESHIRE'S High Sheriff, Diana McConnell, has challenged the county's youngsters to come up with 100 ideas to fight crime and anti-social behaviour - and is offering cash rewards of up to £500 to help them succeed.

Crimebeat, the initiative set up to help young people start their own community safety schemes, has passed its landmark 100th project and the High Sheriff wants children to get their heads together to come up with another century of crime-busting plans.

Now in its fourth year, Crimebeat has already given £33,000 to crime prevention projects involving more than 30,000 young people from towns and villages across Cheshire.

It makes grants of up to £500 to schools, youth clubs and groups of youngsters who come up with ideas to help their fellow citizens.

Mrs McConnell said: 'I am amazed by the inventiveness and sheer determination our young people bring to solving some of the problems caused by crime and anti-social behaviour.

'Over the years they have come up with a huge variety of effective schemes to tackle the issues that matter to them and their neighbours.'

Crimebeat's 100 projects to date have included ideas for tackling bullying in school, protecting children from the dangers of drug abuse and stopping vandalism and misbehaviour on buses.

Some projects have brightened up neighbourhoods by doing gardening and other tasks for elderly people, while others have identified a host of productive alternatives to crime through workshops, entertainment and sporting events.

Crimebeat co-ordinator Frank Harding said: 'Time and again the applications we receive for grants prove that our young people have a very clear understanding of the damage done by crime and what they can do to reduce it.

'They have also proven that building safer communities isn't always rocket science, the simplest of ideas are often the ones that work best.'

School groups and other young people's organisations in Cheshire can apply for Crimebeat funding.

To find out more, call Frank Harding on 01244 614559 and ask for an information pack and application form.